Wars of the Heart
by Packersfan12
Summary: Eugene Roe came home from the war to nothing, returning to Bayou Chene to go on with his life. He had been relieved when the war ended, but as he gets to know his new neighbors, a new one begins to form with the man of the household. Heath, the drunken cocky beau of a spunky girl named Jo, isn't who he appears to be. Eugene/O.C. Try it! You know you want to!
1. Chapter 1

Eugene lifted his head back to look up at the bright Louisiana sun. He squinted his eyes in the same fashion he had when he'd done the same thing hundreds of times in Europe. Dozens of memories flooded through his mind: sitting with the rest of the men after their jump in Normandy, the few laughs they all shared, but mostly the death. He had seen countless deaths of brothers, friends, strangers, and enemies alike. There had never been any privacy, any glory, any honor in the way they had died. Of course they had died in honor, but the way Eugene saw it, no one should have to die on foreign soil with a bullet in their head or their guts spilled on the ground.

He sat in the backyard of the small house he had recently bought, under the shade of a large weeping willow, drinking lemonade. Eugene had come home to nothing, he had looked forward to going home the whole time he was at war, but when he did finally come home, he didn't know what to do. He was alone. He had gotten off the train in Morgan City with absolutely no clue as to where he was going. Finally he decided to go back to the place where he was born, Bayou Chene.

There was a saleswoman who led him out to houses around the area, but none of them caught his eye. She had sighed when he denied all of the three houses available, and said, "Well there's one more but..."

He had smiled politely and said, "Well let's see it."

It was a small ramshackle house, all the paint having long ago chipped off. There was a fence that bordered the yard, but it was broken and missing in some places, and the shutters were falling off the house. The grass overgrown and unkempt.

"I'll take it."

She had looked shocked but smiled tightly and said, "Alright, if I could have you just sign right here," he signed, "and here," he signed, "and, right here. And we're all set!"

"Are there any keys, ma'am?" Eugene asked.

"Um, well not right yet. No one's lived in this house for years, as you can tell." She said, "But I'll be sure to send out a locksmith and we'll get that all settled."

"Thank you." He said.

"If you want I can arrange for you to stay in someone else's house until the inside is all fixed up."

"No, I don't think that'll be necessary." Eugene said.

"Sir? It is-"

"With all due respect, ma'am, I've slept in foxholes and ditches for the better half of a couple years, I think I can manage." Eugene said, then nodded to her, "Have a nice day."

She watched him go without a word, looking as if he were crazy.

And hell, he thought, maybe I am.

It had been two weeks since then, and Eugene managed to get the grass under control, and start fixing up the fence. He had bought furniture which consisted of a small wooden dining table, a plush chair and couch, and a bed, from Morgan City, having a truck help haul it to Bayou Chene.

The breeze blew around him, carrying in the scent of the bayou, and caressing his face with warmth. He sighed, and tried to push away the nagging thoughts at the back of his mind.

Why was he privileged enough to be able to sit there and enjoy himself, while there were families around the country grieving over the loss of their loved ones? He sat and drank lemonade, when there were men who never even got to come home. Men who never got to see their children, who would never see them again.

The thought of the nurse flicked through his mind.

"Chocolate?"

He squeezed his eyes shut, holding his hands up to his eyes, dropping his lemonade in the process. No, he wouldn't think about her, not now, not ever. The pain he felt while reliving the memories of the short time he knew her was almost unbearable. She had been a friend, one of the only ones he'd had his entire life, and then she was gone.

"Excuse me!"

Eugene jumped, twisting in his lawnchair to see where the sudden loud voice came from. A small, petite woman with brown hair pulled up into a ponytail stood on the other side of his fence. She smiled and waved, "Hi there."

Eugene stood and walked over to where she was standing, "May I help you?"

"I live across the road," she pointed to the yellow house across from him, "with my beau Heath. I just thought I'd bring a nice apple pie over to welcome you to Bayou Chene."

Eugene smiled politely and said, "Well thank you kindly Miss..."

"Oh, where is my head today?" she asked, slapping her forehead, "My name is Jo Holloway, nice to make your acquaintance."

"Eugene Roe," he said, outstretching his hand to shake hers, "the pleasure is mine."

"I brought you a pie, as I said before." Jo said, "I just thought a person trying to fix this place up deserves some kind of reward."

Eugene chuckled, "Well I can't say that I'm disappointed. Why don't you come on in and I'll fix us up a plate."

"Oh," Jo's face suddenly changed from friendly to cautious, "I probably should be getting back to Heath."

"It's one slice of pie." Eugene said, "I think he can wait five minutes."

"Jo!"

She jumped, and nearly dropped the pie, "I'm right here, darling."

Heath came stumbling up to them and from his days in the Paratroopers, Eugene could tell he was beginning to get drunk, on the verge of sobriety and stupor, "Did ya give him his pie yet?" He slung his arm over her shoulders, and Eugene caught the small involuntary flinch that shook Jo's body.

"I'm just giving it to him now." Jo said, smiling stiffly, "Here's your pie, Mr. Roe, I hope you enjoy it."

"Say, aren't you the Army boy?" Heath asked.

"Yes, sir, I was in the Paratroopers." Eugene said.

"So you jumped out of planes, that's some serious shit." He said, pointing a finger in Jo's face, "Did you kill anyone?"

"Heath." Jo said quietly.

"No, I was the Medic, I saved them."

"But not all of them."

"Heath." Jo said, elbowing him.

A pang of guilt hit Eugene as he looked to the ground, "No, not all of them."

Heath laughed, "I would have been out there shooting the fuck out of them Germans. There woulda been none left to surrender."

"Funny, that's what every soldier said before they were scared shitless." Eugene said.

Heath's face darkened and he leaned across the fence so that he was inches from Eugene's face, "Are you callin' me a coward, boy?"

Eugene didn't move away as he said, "Not at all, sir."

Heath leaned back, pulling Jo into him, "I like this guy, Jo, invite him for supper."

"When do you want him over, darlng?" Jo asked.

"Wednesday."

Jo smiled thinly at him, like she was scared of something, "Well then, Mr. Roe you heard the man, how about it? Supper on Wednesday?"

"It would be my pleasure." Eugene said.

"Well there we have it!" Heath said, "Let's go, Jo."

"Yes darling." Jo said and then quietly added, "It was nice to meet you Mr. Roe."

"Yeah," Eugene said as he watched Heath practically drag Jo across the road, "you too."

Okay so this isn't my first BOB fic, but it's my first story about after the war! So tell me what you guys think and if I should continue! And don't forget, this is the first chapter so it might be a little boring, but I promise you, it does get better, trust me!


	2. Chapter 2

Mortars thundered around him as he ran through the snow, dodging foxholes and trees. Bullets whizzed past him as he ran. Christensen laid on his stomach firing his M1919A6 machine gun, while Perconte fed him bullets, Webb next to them getting the next round of ammo.

"Stay in your foxholes!" Buck was shouting, running through the snow like Roe.

A mortar hit next to him, the heat from the blast singeing his cheek. It picked him up off the ground and threw him a couple feet to his left. He rolled onto his stomach and rose to his feet, looking around in shock. He didn't know where to go, nowhere was safe.

He saw some men running ahead of him, but he couldn't identify who they were. A mortar blast hit right next to them, knocking one off his feet, the other two disappearing in the spray of dirt.

"Medic!"

Eugene snapped awake, sitting up in his bed. He gasped for breath and looked around, for a moment still thinking he was in Bastogne. He wiped his sweaty face, reaching over to light the candle next to his bed. He started to calm down, the memories of Bastogne receding.

"Where do you think you're going?" He heard someone shout outside.

Eugene walked out into his soon-to-be-living room and peered out the dusty window. Outside, he saw Jo quickly walking down the front steps of their house. Behind her, Heath ran out the door behind her. He roughly grabbed Jo by the arm, yanking her towards the house.

Jo cried out in pain and said, "Heath, please, I just want to go for a walk!"

"To where, the Army boy over there?" Heath slurred.

"No, Heath, I just want to-"

He pulled her forward, making her fall to the ground. He grabbed her by the hair and drug her up the steps. Jo cried out in pain again, and tried to stand. Heath picked her up and threw her into the house, slamming the front door shut.

Eugene couldn't believe what he'd just seen. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall, it was two thirty in the morning. He heard more shouting from in the house, and he angrily whipped his door open, striding over to the yellow house.

Eugene knocked on the door, and there was a pause before it opened.

Jo stood on the other side and gave him a small smile, "Eugene, hi."

"Is everything alright?" Eugene asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Jo asked.

"I uh, thought I heard some shouting." Eugene said, leaving out what he'd seen outside.

Heath stumbled into the doorway, shoving Jo behind him, "Wha do you wan?" he slurred.

"Just making sure everything is alright." Eugene said.

"Why?" Heath asked, "Did, she say anythin bad abou me?"

Jo's eyes got wide and Eugene said, "Oh no, she actually said you were sleeping. She was worried she'd wake you up, what with you working so hard."

"She told you tha?" Heath asked, wavering on his feet.

"Oh yes." Eugene said.

Jo's face radiated thanks, and she said, "Why don't you come inside darling. It's cold out there."

"Okay." Heath said, walking inside.

Jo reached out to grab the door handle and Eugene nodded to her, turning to go back to his house. "Eugene." he heard Jo whisper. He turned back around and she said, "Thank you."

Eugene nodded without saying a word, opening the small wooden gate that lead to his home. He looked back to Jo's house before he went inside and watched as the light went out, and the house fell silent.

The next day found Eugene in the local hardware store, looking for white paint for his fence. He was juggling four cans of it, when he saw Jo walk in and smile at Bob, the owner.

"Morning Bob." She greeted.

"Hey there, Jo." Bob said, "What can I do for you?"

"I accidentally broke one of my tables last night," Jo said, and Eugene ducked behind a shelf, listening to her story, "you know how clumsy I am, and I was just looking for some nails so Heath could fix it."

Eugene frowned. You know damn well that's a lie, he thought.

"Well I got some right this way." Bob said, directing her across the store, "You should find everything you need right here."

"Thanks Bob." Jo said.

"Whoa, say, you break that table with your head?" Bob asked, "You got a doozy there."

Jo looked startled and felt where Bob pointed. She winced and said, "Huh, I have no idea where that came from."

"That's weird." Bob said, and then saw Eugene and said, "Ah, Gene, good to see you back."

Eugene plopped his paint cans down on the counter without taking his eyes off Jo, "Say, Bob," he said, "what's with this Heath guy?"

"What do you mean?" Bob asked.

"What's he like?" Eugene asked.

"Oh he's a real nice guy." Bob said, "At least, he's always been nice when I'm around. Why?"

"How's he treat Jo?"

"Boy," Bob chuckled, "twenty questions today. I don't know, they always look like they're having a good time when they're together."

"Oh." Eugene said, "How much do I owe you, Bob?"

"You don't owe a thing, Gene." Bob said, "You served our country and that's much more than money to me."

"Bob," Eugene frowned, "I can't not give you anything?"

"You gave me freedom." Bob said, "That's more than I can say about some people around here."

"Well thanks Bob," Eugene said, giving him a small smile, "I really appreciate it." He picked up his cans of paint and turned to leave.

"Eugene." Bob said, stopping him, "What was it like?"

"What was what like?" Eugene asked.

"The war?" Bob asked, "The battles, seeing the things you saw."

Eugene thought for the right words but found none. He simply said, "Indescribable."

Jo had been watching them from behind a shelf, and tried to scoot around it as Eugene walked by, but he caught her as she tried sneaking to the counter. She jumped when she nearly ran into him, "Eugene!"

"Now I've seen a lot of things in my life." He said quietly, "I know when a man's an alcoholic, and I damn sure know when he's drunk. Did he hurt you?"

"Heath? Of course not, he'd never hurt anyone." Jo said.

Eugene sighed, "You can't fool me Jo."

"I'm not trying to." She said, brushing past him to go to the counter. He watched her go and left, paint cans in hand.

People greeted him as he passed them, all friends of his parents. His mother had given birth to him in Morgan City, and soon after they had moved to Bayou Chene. As a child, he had loved it, going on many adventures in the Bayou with his friends. That had come to an end, though, when one of his friends had been killed.

Not long before he left to Basic Training, his parents had been killed in a car accident. It was mostly because of that reason that he enlisted on December 12, 1942.

"Eugene Roe, is that you?" An old worn out voice asked him. He smiled and turned to Bayou Chene's oldest living resident, Babbidi Dickson. No one knew her exact age, but she had been old when Eugene was born. Her hair was white and in an afro, her skin turning grey and face sunken in. As a child, he and the other children of the Bayou had made up scary stories that she was a witch.

"Yes ma'am it's me." He said, sitting his paint cans down to hug her.

"Well my, my, look at you." She said, opening her squinted eyes, "Your parents would be proud."

"I like to think so, too." Eugene said, giving her a small smile.

"Well, I've got a pie baking, so you better come back here later and get a slice." Babbidi said, "And if you don't come, I'll hunt you down."

"Miss a slice of your pie, Babbid? No way." Eugene said, "I'll be back."

_**So I don't know how exactly Eugene's parents passed, so I just threw something in there. I don't have much to say, so just enjoy the chapter and review!**_


End file.
